By Amie Sillah
Neneh and her Kids
Being rejected by husband and father, Neneh cuddled her kids back to the village. Their education has to wait because she cannot shoulder it; her father’s kinsmen and women rejected them due to Mama’s guts. They wanted her to succumb to their evil desires to take papa’s land and to also inherit her into polygamy which she refused. Mama is an orphan also rejected by both paternal and maternal relatives. Alone they shoulder their trials and tribulations. Mama and her brother blamed her for their predicament.
Ugly Heads Showing Up
Lolly changed overnight after her marriage to Ken. She becomes overbearing and extravagant which surprises Ken all the more. The demands are affecting his business and he is fed up with everything.
He soliloquized, “Have I not acted in a haste to marry Lolly before I knew her enough? But the great Sheriff advised she is my wife. I’ll hide the experience from Sailu, if not he will laugh and mock me, ‘have I not told you? Is she not better than Neneh?’
“But Neneh is far better; Lolly is a deceiver and pretender.”
Lolly
“I need 1 million, seven hundred thousand is not enough for seed money; I want to go to Dubai and China, I want to be independent but you have to spend to build up the initial capital.”
Ken
“That I have not. Since I married you, a lot of expenditure has been incurred and it is weighing heavily upon my business. 1 million, I don’t have for now but later.”
Lolly
She got furious and protested.
“Am I not your wife? I am not your girlfriend for God’s sake!”
“Yes you are my dear wife but I am now unable at the moment.”
Neneh
She came back to the city and went straight to Dor who kept busy as soon as she saw her coming.
“What does she want again?” She hissed.
She came and stooped before her.
“My children have stopped going to school, my family is dying of poverty at the village, Aunty Dor don’t you know that Ken denied fathering my children?”
Dor
“Ken! But why should he say that when he knows you are a very faithful wife?”
Neneh
“Can you talk to him on behalf of the innocent kids?”
Dor
“God forbid! I would have done it for you but your husband asked me never to go to his house or interfere with his family again and that is what I am observing, not to trespass.”
Neneh
“Then lend me seed money to do small business to settle my kids’ school fees and then pay you back.”
She scratched her hair and said;
“As always no liquid cash, everything has been plunged back into buying items for the business. But I’ll again ask why you were not saving with all the money being wasted?”
Neneh
She shook her head and said;
“I am now a new being learning life anew; I used to do a lot of foolish things which I would never do again; the irony is that those I used to help generously even before they asked are the ones shunning me and refusing to help but for instance, my security man whom I used to give crumbs can share the little he has with me; what a world Aunty Dorothy? Thank you I am leaving and would never bother you again with my troubles, I’ll bear my cross alone as I have brought it upon myself, did Mama not warn me?”
Dor
‘Dry eye cover shame’ our people say;
“Mama was of course right, you should have saved for leaner times and never kept wasting your money on ingrates; learn from your mistake and whenever you are again in a position if you should ever save for tomorrow; self-first, I definitely could have helped had I have liquid cash.”
She held her Brazilian hair and said;
“Sell it and the proceeds can be used as seed money.” She just looked at her and left without a comment.
She did not even help her with fare to go back home; but this time around she brought along her return fare.
At the Village
She even does labourer’s job at building sites or go to the quarry to sort out gravel stones to sell to builders. The money is not enough but it can buy pap porridge for the kids (mono).
Malaria Knocks Burang
Burang is knocked down by malaria, after giving him herbs the bug still persists and he started shivering. She took him to the village clinic but no malaria tabs and she was sent to the catchment pharmacy to buy but she could not purchase it. She ran home to Mama to borrow her for some money.
At Home
Mama is picking rice to cook.
“Please Mama lend me some money to buy malaria tabs Burang is admitted at the health centre and if he does not have the medicine it can cause complications. I’ll pay when some contractors pay for the gravel I supplied them.”
Mama
She is very crossed with her daughter’s follies which caused their present predicament and is very hard on her.
“I have no money to lend you, all my liquid cash has been paid to ‘osusu’ yaaye (mama) and my turn to cash is by the end of the month by God’s power.But where are your advisers, your ‘aunties’, are they not wealthy enough to help you at your time of need? You used to help them with big money to prop up their various businesses. They should be able to help you now!” She hissed.
Neneh
“Mama, people can be wicked! Can you imagine I went several times to Aunty Dor but she never help me with anything even fares to come back home. I have learnt another lesson of life.”
Mama
“It was not only Dorothy that you’ve helped but all of them, try the others they might be better than her, she must be stingy. But please try and get the medicine. I don’t want anything to happen to my grandson.”
To be Cont.
